Apparatus for galvanizing



Feb. 17, 1942. R. J. WEAN- ETAL APPARATUS FOR GALVANIZING 6, Sheets-Sheet l egn lm E7mol'e Berk MIM ndu.

lN VE NTORS Raym ans E.

NM MN an I Filed Dec. 30, 1939 Feb. 17,1942.

R. J. WEAN EI'AL APPARATUS FOR GALYANIZING 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 30, 1939 INVENTORS Raymond J. Weq n ,E Hans EM In moreRB Iik,

Feb. 17, 1942..

R. J. WEAN ETAL ,273,427 APPARATUg FOR GALVANIZING Filgd Dec. 50, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 fly. 3

INVENTORS a xfl-afiz n S v Elmore R. Ber/f Feb. 17,1942 R1 WEAN Ei-AL- Y 2 1 2,273,427

' v APPAR TU FOR GALVANIZING Filed Dec. 30, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS RaYmondJ. We an Hans E.Melm Elmore R. Ber-K Patented Feb. 11, 1942 2,273,421.. APPARATUS FOR GALVANIZING Raymond J. Wean, Hans E. Melin, and Elmore It. Berk, Warren, Ohio, assignors to The Wean Engineering Company, Inc., Warren, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application December 30, 1939, Serial No. 311,810

(or. 9112. I

11 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the application of a protective coating to sheet material and, specifically, to an apparatus for galvanizing ferrous sheets. 1

One of the methods which'has been employed heretofore for the galvanizing of ferrous sheets is the so-called lead-zinc process. It is characterized, however, by certain serious objectionsf An improvement therein is disclosed and claimed in the copending application, Ser. No. 256,684,

of Wean et al. The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus following the general principles of operation disclosed in said application.

The thickness of the zinc. coating applied to showing a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2; and

' Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the parts in alternative position.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the apparatus of our invention comprises a lead not It having a sheet-feeding and guiding rig ll remoyably disposed therein. A zinc pot I2 is provided with a removable sheet-feeding rig l2a including exit rolls l3 and is disposed adjacent the discharge end of the pot l0.

ferrous sheets in the lead-zinc process varies with the depth of the bath of molten zinc through which the sheets are passed. The principal object of the present invention is to' provide a method and means whereby the depthof the zinc bath may readily be altered as desired, without the necessity of changing the amount of lead in the molten bath thereof on. which the zinc bath floats. In a preferred embodiment and practice of the invention, the zinc bath is contained in an inner not having means for adjusting it vertically in the lead bath. Exit rolls are journaled in housings mounted in the zinc pot for' adjustment vertically thereof, both the exit rolls and the zinc pot being adjustable independently of the. remainder of the galvanizing rigwhich' may be largely of conventional construction. Further advantages of the invention will become apparent, during the course of the following detailed description which refers to' Fig. 3 is a partial section'to enlarged scale taken along the plane of line- III--III.of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial plan .view showing the drive for the exit rolls;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken alongthe plane of line V- V of Fig. 4; e

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the plane. of line VI-VI of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the zinc pot;

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views taken. along the planes of lines VIII-VIII and IX-IX, respectively, of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view. to enlarged scale The rig ll, for the most part, represents a slight modification of conventional construction and will, therefore, be described only generally. Iticomprises a main frame including'housings ll connected by tie rods I5. Entering rolls l6 Journaled in suitable bearings carried on the housings l4 receive sheets advancing between the guides I! and direct them through a flux box l3 and thence between guides l8. Bottom. feed rolls 20 are journaled in bearings adjustable in windows 2| formed in the housings l4 and deliver the sheets respectively to guides 22 and 23. The

lower roll of each set of bottom rolls 20 is driven through bevel gears 24, the driven gear being keyed on a shaft 25 having aworm 28 in mesh with a worm wheel on the lower roll 20. The driving gears are keyed on shafts 21 driven'by motors (not shown) mounted on a laterally adjustable base plate 28, through suitable reducing ears. a chain and sprocket drive 29 by another motor and reducing-.gearoperating a shaft 30.

The upper roll of each set of bottom rolls is pressed downward by counter-weighted levers 3| pivoted at 32 to brackets 33 and 33a, acting through struts 3 4. Bearing brackets 35 are pivoted to the brackets 33 coaxially of the shafts 21 and are provided with bearings in which the upper ends of the shafts 25 are joumaled; This construction, as well as an alining pin 36 on the base plate 23 anda cooperating socket 31 onv -one of the brackets 33, is more fully described and claimed in a copending application, Ser. No.

308,798 of Holdgate et a1.

The zinc pot l2 comprises a main 3 and an overhanging portion having a bottom tween the exit rolls l3.

44 are formed adjacent the ends of the pct 12. I

opening 4| between a reservoir wall 38a and a shelf 40a.v Guides 42' extending into the opening cooperate with the guides 23 to feed sheets be-. Housing pockets, and

A float chamber communicates with the pocket 44; r The .pot I2 is preferably fabricated from suitable'plate by welding.

The feed-in rolls it are driven through reservoir 33 The lead pot l has posts 86 welded to the upper edge thereof. The pct 12 has angles 41 extending around the rim thereof and welded thereto. The angles 41 have holes 48 therein which the posts 46 are adapted to enter when the pot I2 is lowered into the pot Hi. The posts 46 have holes therethrough adapted to receive wedges 49 bearing on the angles 41. The tops of the holes in which the wedges are inserted are at slightly different levels so that when one wedge is tight, the other will be free for easy removal.

When the pot I0 is filled with molten lead to a suitable level such as that indicated by the dotted line 50 and the pot I2 is filled with zinc to the level indicated by the dotted line 5| through the axes of the exit rolls 13, the pot I2 will be buoyed up by a force equal to the difference between the densities of lead and steel multiplied by the volume of lead displaced by the side walls and bottom of pot I 2 plus the force equal to the difierence between the densities of lead and zinc multiplied by the volume of lead displaced by the reservoir portion 38 of the pot l2. The

pct 12, therefore, tends to float and the posts 46 and wedges 49 serve to hold thepot in predetermined relation to the lead pot Hi. If the wedges are backed out, the pct 12 is raised. Conversely, the pot I! may be forced downward by driving the wedges in farther. The wedge holes are deep enough to permit the desired range of adjustment of the pot 12.

The rig Ila is adjustably mounted on guide pins 52 secured to the pot l2 and extending upwardly through the angles 41. It comprises an auxiliary frame including housings 53 with holes adjacent the ends thereof through which the pins 52 extend as the housings are disposed in the pct with their lower portions in the pockets 48 and 44. The housings are held in vertically adjusted position relative to the pot I! by spacer blocks 54 and keys 55. The housings have notches 56 providing bearing surfaces for supporting the necks j of the exit rolls l3. Keeper arms 51 pivoted at 58 to brackets secured to the housings, hold the rolls in position in the notches 58. The arms 52 are urged in the roll-securing direction by a spring-bolt assembly 59. The guides 42 are secured to the housings 53, and move with th rig l2a.

The exit rolls l3 have meshing gears 69 at one end thereof. A gear 6| at the other end of one of the rolls meshes with a driving gear 52. The gear 62 is driven by a motor 53 through a speed reducer 64. The motor and reducer are mounted on a base plate 55 which is slidable laterally on wedge blocks 66. The wedge blocks 55 are movable toward or from each other in a sub-base 61 to adjust the base 55 vertically. Screw shafts i5 having'right and left-hand threads at opposite ends thereof, cooperate with nuts secured to the wedge blocks and are connected together by a chain and sprocket drive 59. lateral adjustment of the base 55 on the wedge block 55 is effected by a screw 10. The screw 15 cooperates with a nut 1| positioned in a cored well 12 in the -base 5 5. The base 65 may thus be adjusted vertically relative to the nut 1| and operation of the screw 10,

causes lateral adjustment of the base 55. The

screw shafts 55 and the screw 10 are journaled in upper edge of the pot l2 and that lateral adjustment of the base-65 away from the pot will clear the latter to permit it to be removed from the lead pot l0 when necessary.

A float 14 (see Figs. 1 and 3) is disposed in the float chamber 45 and has a stem 15 reciprocable through an eye 16 mounted on the adjacent side wall of the pot l2. The float 14 is so constructed that it will float on the lead bath but will sink in the zinc bath. Its function is to indicate the level of the lead-zinc interface, in a manner which will appear shortly.

Deflectors 11 and a bull tail" 18 are mounted on the rim of the pot l2 for directing a sheet emerging from between the rolls l3 onto a con veyor.

Fig. 10 illustrates the positions of the pot I2 and exit rolls I3 "for the minimum depth of zinc baths. The pot I2 is at its uppermost position relative to the pot HI and the housings 53 in which the rolls l3 are journaled are at their lowermost position relative to the pot l2. The level of lead in the pot I0 is shown at 50 and the level of zinc in the pot I2 is shown at 5| as in Fig. 2. The level of the zinc coincides substantially with the axes of the rolls l3. The leadzinc interface is indicated at 19 and is substantially at or slightly below the level of the shelf 40a. Because of the difierence between the specific gravities of lead and zinc, the height of the zinc column above the interface 19 is slightly greater than the height of the lead bath thereabove.

With the adjustment of the parts illustrated in Fig. 10, sheets fed through the entering rolls I5 pass through the flux box [8 andthence through the lead bath, being guided therethrough by the guides 19, 22, 23 and advanced by the feed rolls 20. The sheets finally pass upwardly through the bottom opening 4| in the overhanging portion 40 of the pot l2 and between the exit rolls l3. The lead bath serves to preheat the sheets but does not coat them. On passing upwardly through the zinc layer floating on the lead bath, the depth of which is indicated at X in Fig. 10, a uniform adherent coating is formed on the sheets by the alloying action of the zinc with iron of the sheets.

The main reservoir portion of the pot II, as described in the copending application, Ser. No. 256,684, of Wean et al.. permits the accumulation of zinc dross at the bottom thereof at a distance from the exit rolls so that clean metal only will be deposited on the sheets. v

If it is desired to increase the depth of the zinc layer through which the sheets pass, in order to increase the thickness of the coating formed on the sheets, this may be done without changing the amount of lead in the tank ll. Zinc is added to the pot l2 in approximately the amount necessary to provide the desired increase in the depth of the zinc layer. The addition of zinc to the pot l2, of course, lowers the lead-zinc interface 19 to some such position as indicated by the dotted line 19'. The pot I2 is then forced downwardly into the pot III to about the position shown in Fig. 11. This raises the level of lead in the pot III to about the position shown at 50. Thelowering of the pot l2, furthermore, raises the lead-zinc interface to about ings instead of above them, aseshown in Fig. 11

to bring themes of the exit rolls ll substantially to the level of the zinc shown at level 5! is then adjusted as closely as possible to the axes of theexit rolls by adding zinc to or bailing it out of the pot l2. This may cause some shifting of the lead-zinc interface 80 and if proper adjustments are made, it will approach the position indicated at 80. This adjustment provides a zinc layer of a depth Y as indicated in Fig. 11.

It is important that the lead zinc interface be maintained below the upper edge of the reservoir wall 38a, because otherwise lead would flow into the reservoir 38. The float stem may be provided with an index of any desired character to indicate the position of the lead-zinc interface by reference, for example, to the eye I6. In

, other words, if a mark is placed on the stem 15 at the eye 16 when the lead-zinc interface is at the proper position, as'illustrated in Fig. 3, the position of the mark on the stem relative-t0 the .eye will always show the approximate position of the lead-zinc interface. The float chamber 45 communicates with the housing pocket 44 andboth pockets l3 and. 44 are open to the lead bath at the ends of the opening in the bottom of the overhanging portion!!! of the pot l2.

. A comparison of the depths of the zinc layers indicated at X and Y in' Figs. 10 and 11 shows the possible range of adjustment in one particular embodiment. It will be understood, furthermore, that although Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate extreme conditions, proper adjustment of the parts may be made to provide zinc layers of various intermediate depths. The adjustment of the housings 53 and the exit rolls I 3 journaled therein requires a corresponding adjustment of the drive therefor but this is readily accomplished by means of the screw shafts 6B and the wedge blocks 66. i

It will be observed that to increase the depth of the zinc layer, the pot I2 is lowered. This reduces the elevation of the exit rolls required to produce the desired overall increase in the depth of the zinc layer and thus simplifies the problem of vertical adjustment of the exit roll drive.

The reverse of the procedure described above for increasing the depth of the zinc layer is'followed when it is desired to reduce its depth.

The described order of operations is not essen-' tial, the only necessary precaution being that the lead-zinc interface be not permitted to rise above the upper edge of reservoir wall 38a.

The principal advantage ofJ'the invention is that by making the pot i2 adjustable in the pot ill, it is unnecessary to add lead to the pot I! to balance the increased head oi zinc when'the depth of the zinc layer is increased. For the change in the depth of the zinc layer from that indicated in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 1 l., for example it would be necessary to raise the level zinc. The pot 12', being much smaller, can be- The zinc g 3 sion of the pot l2 by the zinc as compared to a zinc pot which is heated by direct impingement 1 of flame thereon. Since the area of the surface of the zinc bath is quite small, the change in the level of the zinc does not involve the handling of much zinc.

The guides 42 are effective in all positions of the rig Ila to receive sheets from guides 23 and direct them accurately into the nip of the exit rolls. Such independently adjustable guides may also be used in a conventional galvanizing machine. It is unnecessary to shift the main rig ll although it may 'beremoved when desired. The exit rig Ila is adjustable and removable independently of the main rig H.

' ,Although we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment and practice of the inven tion, it will be understood that changes in the construction and procedure disclosed may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim: 1. Apparatus for galvanizing comprising a lead P t. a zinc pot movably disposedv in said lead and having a bottom opening. posts on said lead pot for guiding vertical movement of the zinc pot therein, and means cooperating with said posts for forcing the zinc pot downwardly.

2. Apparatus for galvanizing comprising a lead pot, a zinc pot movably disposed in said lead pot and having a bottom opening, and means for forcing the zinc potdownward against the buoyanceresulting from the displacement of the lead thereby. I 3. In a galvanizing apparatus, a pot adapted to contain a heated fluid bath, feed rolls for passing sheet material through said bath, a frame removably disposed on said pot, said rolls being journaled in said frame, a zinc pot remoyably disposed in said first-mentioned pot, means for securing the zinc pot in vertically adjusted position relative to the'flrst-mentioned pot, exit rolls in said zinc pot, and vertically adjustable means for supporting said exit rolls.

4. In a galvanizing apparatus, a main sheetieeding rig including bottom rolls adapted to feed sheets therethrough,' an exit rig including exit rolls spaced from said bottom rolls, guides on the main rig extending from the bottom rolls toward the exit rolls and other guides on the exit rig extending rearwardly from said exit rolls, said exit rig with said last mentioned guides being adjustable vertically relative to said firstmentioned guides, the discharge ends of the firstmentioned guides extending between the diverging ends of the second-mentioned guides.

5. Apparatus for galvanizing comprising a' I lead pot, a zinc pot disposed in said lead pot and ofthe lead in the pot HI several inches if the pot H were fixed in the pot III. This would inreplaced at relatively small expense when ren dered'iinusable by corrosion of the zinc. 1 At the having a bottom opening, exit rolls in said zinc pot, means mounting said rolls for rotation, means whereby said roll-mounting meansnmay be vertically adjusted relative to said-lead pot, driving mechanism for said .rolls including a support with a motor thereon, and means for ad- 'justing said support vertically. I

6. In a galvanizing apparatus, bottom rolls adapted to feed sheets therethrough, exit rolls spacedfrom said bottom rolls, guides extending from the bottom rolls toward the exit rolls and other guides extending rearwardly from said'exit rolls, the exitrolls an'd'said other guides-being mounted on housings adjustable vertically relative to said first-mentioned guides, said other guides flaring rearwardly and being thereby adapted te -receive sheets from the first-mentioned guides in all adjusted positions of said housings.

7 In a galvanizing apparatus, a main sheetfeeding rig including bottom rolls and guides extending therefrom, an exit rig adjustable vertically relative to the main rig and including exit rolls and guides adapted to direct sheets therebetween, said last-mentioned guides flaring rearwardly to receive the ends of the first-mew tioned guides so as to receive sheets therefrom in any adjusted position of the exit rig.

8. In a galvanizing apparatus, a pot adapted to contain a heated fluid bath, feed rolls for passing sheet material through said bath, a main frame removably disposed on said pot, said rolls being journaled in said frame, a second openbottomed pot disposed in said first-mentioned pot, an auxiliary frame mounted in said second pot, the auxiliary frame being adjustable vertically relative to the main frame, exit rolls journaled in said auxiliary frame, a drive for said' exit rolls including a base with a motor thereon, and means for adjusting said base vertically..

9. In a galvanizing apparatus, a pot adapted to contain a heated fluid bath, feed rolls for passing sheet material through said bath, a main frame removably disposed on said pot, said rolls being joumaled in said frame, a zinc pot removably disposed in said first-mentioned pot. an

auxiliary frame in said zinc pot, the auxiliary frame being adjustable vertically relative to said zinc pot, exit rolls journaled in said auxiliary frame, a drive for said exit rolls including a base with a motor thereon, and means for adjusting said base vertically and horizontally.

10. In a galvanizing apparatus, a zinc pot, exit rolls journaled in said pot, means whereby said rolls may be adjusted vertically in said pot, a drive for said rolls including a base adjacent the pot with a motor thereon, means for adjusting said base vertically and means for adjusting said base in a horizontal plane, laterally of the pot.

11. me galvanizing apparatus, a zinc pot, exit rolls journaled in said pot, means whereby said rolls may be adjusted vertically in said pot, a drive for said rolls including a base adjacent the pot with a motor thereon and means for adjusting said base vertically.

RAYMOND J. WEAN.

HANS E. MELIN. ELMORE R. BERK. 

